I sometimes find it truly amazing just how much of the world of media is influenced by the classics. It’s in everything you look at, in soap operas, blockbusters, books and computer games. It is interesting because it seems that now we have got over our fascination of the future, we are now looking at the past for wonderment. This is certainly true in Hollywood, Luke sky walker and the Terminator have had their day (whether it be in the future and not actually happened yet) but it’s over, get out of the way for Leonidas and Perseus. I don’t think this is a social trend however, I think it’s just the way Hollywood want it to go. It benefits them, why write a new film when you can just lift stuff from the Iliad, a book older than the bible, just go ahead and re-package it. The truth is that they can, and they will make millions of pounds, but as much as I want to see 21st century technology transform mythology into a visual feat, it just will never do it justice.
Of course, as a student studying classics, any mention of a film such as Clash of the Titans, or Percy Jackson and the Olympians, or Troy, my family and friends always whip their heads around to look at me. I am interested, but I do find the thought of going to watch any of these at the cinema is a bit soul destroying. For example when I went to see Troy starring Brad Pitt, the story of the Iliad being put through the Hollywood filter annoyed me. It is something to be left alone, I’m surprised at my conservative and archaic view as I’m sure you are aware through my other blogs that I am all for the contemporising of the classics. I wonder if the ancient audience that listened to the epic poem in dactylic hexameters, would have felt the same way about it being written down? It is I suppose a drastic change, just as severe as from page to the screen. Despite this feeling, I went along to see the new Clash of the Titans.
Again, as much as I tried to enjoy it, even with the 3D effects jumping out at me, it was just disappointing. It’s the standard case of “if you’ve read the book, you won’t like it” that people said about the Lord Of the Rings and such. It just can’t compare to what you have dreamt up in your imagination, and I think this is especially true with Greek mythology; these are tales that have stood the test of time. I think a brilliant case of this is seen in the Clash, Hades, the ultimate villain of all time, is sooo lame. ^^^^^^^^
Played by Raef Fines, Surely Hades has to be pure evil, the very sight of him should take your breath way, he is death, he is the afterlife, he is the lord of the underworld, but I just think that they made him look like the safestyle window man. ( scroll down to the bottom of the page)
This film is a shameless exploitation of Greek myth but I don’t think that it pretends not to be, so it’s ok I guess, I mean the stories are there for everyone to take. I suppose this is the case with all literature, of course it was from the Greeks that we obtained the alphabet and writing from so it is inevitable that we inherit the same style, structure and themes, because it’s all we have had to go on. With this in mind, the fact that the classics has become so popular in modern culture recently is a celebration of how important it is. The importance of Classics could not be clearer, and I shouldn’t let it annoy me when its exploited for the masses. My old attitude does seem one that is typical of the classics community, it has become introverted, something that is against its nature. The works of Virgil, Homer, Herodotus, Thucydides, Aristotle, were there to be passed on, not horded by fuddy duddys in dusty classrooms.
